BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A Bethlehem man charged in a 2022 shooting at Bethlehem's Musikfest festival has been sentenced to up to nine years in prison.
Joshua Nathaniel Colon pleaded guilty on Dec. 16 to charges of aggravated assault, a second-degree felony, and a misdemeanor charge of recklessly endangering another person.
"A plea agreement reached in the case was due, in part, to the victim’s refusal to cooperate with the investigation."News release from Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan
Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced the sentencing Thursday.
Judge James T. Anthony on Thursday sentenced Colon to three to nine years in state prison.
"A plea agreement reached in the case was due, in part, to the victim’s refusal to cooperate with the investigation," the release said.
The shooting happened Aug. 13, 2022, and Bethlehem police responded at 10:38 p.m. "to a gunshot fired in the Plaza Tropical section of Musikfest," near Main and West Lehigh streets.
The victim, Jathaniel Lopez, who was 20 at the time, was shot once in the stomach.
'Dispute between two groups'
A witness, Dirk Piper, 28, of Bethlehem Township shared details with WLVR-FM on social media.
Piper said the shooting “happened about 10 feet from me at the beer line by the concert area,” and said it “sound[ed] like a small caliber."
"Some people ran, most people just thought it was a firecracker," he said. "Single guy was holding his stomach and lied down on the ground as a officer on a bike went to his side."
Holihan's release said "an investigation determined the shooting occurred during a dispute between two groups and was therefore not a random act."
“They’re gangs. They're not gangs of any nationwide or even statewide name recognition. They’re local groups normally considered gangs that we know, but you wouldn’t recognize their names.”Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan
The case was investigated by Lehigh County’s 12th Investigating Grand Jury and Bethlehem Police Detective John Limpar.
A grand jury heard testimony presented by Chief Deputy District Attorney Bethany S. Zampogna and Deputy District Attorney Nicolo S. Baratta.
At a January 2024 new conference, it was announced that Colon could face other charges, including receiving stolen property, carrying a firearm without a license and prohibited possession, use, manufacture, control, sale or transfer of firearms.
At that same conference, Holihan said the two groups involved were aware of each other.
“They’re gangs,” he previously said. “They're not gangs of any nationwide or even statewide name recognition. They’re local groups normally considered gangs that we know, but you wouldn’t recognize their names.”
No other injuries were reported in the incident, the release said.
